"Will have kids mesmerized from the get-go . . . Gorgeously
illustrated . . . A stirring and thought-provoking reflection on the
essential part stories play in making us human."
--Kirkus STARRED Review
From the creators of Drawing Outdoors, which was praised as "full of
wonder" (Kirkus STARRED Review) and a "fanciful intermingling of art,
science and nature" (New York Times).
This almost wordless picture book set in the dawn of human life
imagines how art and storytelling were born from the power of one young
girl's observation.
Once upon a time, during the Pleistocene, somewhere between
two-and-a-half million and ten thousand years ago, small groups of
people traveled their known world, hunting for food, seeking shelter,
and slowly becoming more like the people we are today.
As far back as 40,000 years ago (and maybe even earlier) people began
drawing pictures on cave walls. And a bit later, they carved images onto
stones. Some pictures are of humans, usually drawn as stick figures, but
most are of animals. We don't know their purpose, though in some cases,
evidence seems to suggest they were used for storytelling. But when we
look at these pictures, we can't help but admire the extraordinary
talent of the first artists. They aren't just scratches on the wall.
They are great art.
In this book of few words, we follow a young girl who notices everything
that happens around her as her people search for a cave to shelter for
the winter. And we can believe that she feels the absolute necessity to
draw what she has seen and to tell stories.
Afterward, Everything was Different features:
- Backmatter explaining what we know--and don't know--about cave
drawings.
- Stunning black and white illustrations of life during the Pleistocene.
An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids
